Pile rugs and rug-bases and composite yarns therefor



Aug. 25, 1959 v H. A. SCHWARTZ 2,901,005

PILE Russ AND RUG-BASES AND COMPOSITE YARNS THEREFOR Filed May 27, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 /7 E5 i-:- INVENTOR /Z mg. WKM

ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1959 H. A scuwARTz 2,901,005

FILE RUGS AND RUG-BASES AND COMPOSITE YARNS THEREFOR Filed May 27, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fl/Mow AScm merz 6M4 WW2 ATTORN EY 1959 H. A. SCHWARTZ 2,901,005

PILE RUGS ANO RUG-BASES AND COMPOSITE YARNS THEREFOR Filed May 27 1955' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 wf wwwae INVENTOR Mama; 4. ,S'cwme 72 BY mam ATTORNEY Unit States Patent 2,901,005 PILE RUGS AND Rue-pisses Ann COMPOSITE YARNS THEREFOR Harold A sc'hwartz, Norwsik, Conn, assignor to Patgioglue-llymoath Corporation, a corporation of New Application May 27, 1955, Serial Ne. 511,655 1 Claim. or. 139-420 This invention relates to improvements in prefabricated backings for tufted rugs and carpets, and also for tufted drapery, and upholstery, fabrics.

Tufted fabrics, such as are described herein, are manufactured by stitching face yarns through a backing material, suchas, sheeting backing, woven jute backing, or woven paper backing, With either a single needle machine, or with a multiple needle sewing machine which may contain as many as twelve hundred separate needles. As the material is passed through the machine, the needles form loops in the yarn, and thus produce a face pile on the fabric. The finished fabric may have a looped pile effect, or the loops may be cut to form a velvet face fabric. This process has been used for the manufacture of bedspreads, bathmats, and similar articles;

Since the end of the last war, there has been a huge development in the tufted industry, and larger and heavier tufting machines have been built, some of them being wide enough to form a face pile on fabrics as wide as eighteen feet. This process isnow bein extensively used in the manufacture of wide carpeting. In fact, it is estimated, that from zero production after the war, this particular industry has grown so that it is now producing approximately thirty million square yards of wide carpeting per annum.

As the industry has developed there has been a trend towards the use of larger diameter face yarns and heavier weight backing materials, and tufted carpeting, for example, hasbe'en produced, that is equal in appearance, durability, and service, to some of the higher qualities of carpets woven in the traditional manner.

The use of larger diameter face yarns makes it necessary to use larger needles for stitching these face yarns through the backing material. The needles are wedgeshapcd in profile, and as they enter the interstices in the backing material, they tend to produce a shearing or guillotinetype of action, which tends to cut or to rupture the filler or weft yarn of the backing material. In

addition to this shearing action of the needles, the increased bUlkfOf these larger needles and of the double thickness of the larger face yarns, places additional stress upon the yarns of the backing materials.

-As a result of these two factors, it has been found that the backing material of some of these recently designed rugs has been seriously weakened by the rupturing of an excessive number of weft or filler yarns during the tufting operation. Rupturing the filler not only weakens the backing material at the point of rupture, but also allows the looped pile to pull loose from the backing material at the point of rupture. In the case of a looppile fabric, this is evidenced by a large loop of face yarn becoming loose. In the case of a cut pile fabric, the individual pile will have no bond to the backing, and will fall out.

At the present time, the tufting industry is mainly concorned with the elimination of the rupturing of the filler, or weft, yarn, but it is conceivable that further changes in the type of face yarns used, or in the needles for looping the yarns, may create difficulties with the warp of a tufted material embodying my invention; and

side up.

2 yarns as well. One object of my invention is to so improve the structure of the piefabficated backing material that the weakness of the fabric is overcome in both the weft, and the warp, yarns, I

Another object of my invention, is a prefabricated backing material which is woven with yafns of increased tensile strength without change in bulk and which resist rupture during the tuftin g operation, incident to the manufacture of a tufted material.

Another object of my invention is a tufted fabric, containing face yarns of larger than conventional diameter, tufted in a prefabricatedbacking containing yarns of conventional bulk certain 'of the said yarns being reinforced with relatively fine strands of high tensile strength yarn'to resist rupture of the backing yarns during the tufting of the face yarns.

Other objects will appear frer'n the detailed description which follows.

Backing fabrics for tufted products are woven out of relatively bulky yarns of either cotton, jute, Kenaf, or twisted paper. I have found, that the foregoing difiiculties may be overcome by twisting a relatively fine strand of a high tensile strength yarn, such as fiberglass, high tenacity rayon, nylon, or similar synthetic fibre, with the basic but relatively bulky yarns of cotton, jute, Kenaf, or twisted paper. The fine reinforcing thread of high tensile strength yarn appreciably increases the strength of the fabric, without changing its weight, feel, stiffness, or other physical characteristics. The weight of the reinforcing thread is very small when compared with the weight of the bulkier cotton, jute, Keriaf, or paper,. yar"n, and the addition of said reinforcing threads adds but very little to the cost of the backing material. The reinforcing thread may be twisted together with a paper ribbon, so that the reinforcing thread forms the core of the paper covered yarn, or it may be plied together with a previously twisted or spun yam of cotton, jute, Kenaf, or paper;

Certain embodiments of the invention are shown, by way of illustration, in the drawing, which consists of three sheets of twelve figures, numbered Figs. 1 to 12, both inclusive, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a planview of a piece of backing material showing one suitable weave which may be employed;

Fig. 2 shows a paper ribbon twisted into a fibre yarn or paper thread, such as may be woven in the warp oil the backing material of Fig. 1-. V

Fig. .3 shows a portion of a reinforced and twisted thread such asmay be woven in the filler of the backing material "of Fig. 1:

Fig. 4 is a blown-up view of the backing material, but not to scale, showing the back of a fragment of rug and the pile stitching.

Fig. 5 is a blown-up cross sectional view, but not to scale, taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows, with the backing turned right Fig. 6 is a blown-up cross sectional view, but not to scale, taken along the line 66 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrowsafter the bonding agent has been applied to the backof the rug.

Fig. '7 is a blown-up cross sectional view, but not to scale; *showinga out pile construction. 7

Fig.8 is a blown-up view, but not to scale, showing a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 9 shows the twisted construction of a warp thread such as is used in the". modified construction ofFig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a blown-up view showing the construction of one of my composite yarns, showing how the separately twisted yarns may be plied together. M

Fig. 111 is a blown up view of another modified form Fig. 12 is a blown-upview of another modifiedform of backing material embodying my invention, useful in making a tufted fabric.

The backing material (Fig. 1), is woven as indicated at 11, 11 by means of the warp threads 12, 12 and the filler threads 13, 13. The threads 12 and 13 consist of relatively narrow ribbons 14 (Fig. 2), or 15 (Fig. 3), of wet strength paper, and these ribbons are twisted in known manner, into a fiber yarn 12 (Fig. 2), or a cord 13 (Fig. 3). Other natural fibres, instead of paper, may be used in the warp, and the filler, threads.

In the process of making the paper, the paper stock is preferably treated by adding thereto an ingredient such as melamine resin, urea formaldehyde, or neoprene latex, to give wet strength to the paper. The wet strength paper may also be treated with a water-repellent solution, or a water-repellent solution may be applied to the paper ribbon as it is being converted into a yarn or thread. Paper yarns or threads approximately .035 inch in diameter or cross section, give good results. When the fibre yarns 12 (Fig. 2) have been twisted, they are wound in the known manner upon a beam to form a warp beam (not shown).

In making the filler threads 13 (Fig. 4), a paper ribbon 15 (Fig. 3) is twisted around a core, stuffer, or reinforcing thread 16 (Fig. 3), to form a cord or reinforced yarn 13. The threads 12 and 13 while of fine gauge are relatively bulky, while reinforcing thread 16 (Figs. 3 and 4) is made of a synthetic material which is of relatively fine texture, such as fibre glass, high tenacity rayon, or a nylon filament, or of any other material of high tensile strength and relatively small bulk. Reinforcing threads 16 of fibre glass measuring .010 inch in diameter, give good results, and quite satisfactory results may be obtained by using reinforcing threads as small as .005 inch in diameter. The thread 16 may consist of more than one strand, in which case the said strands may be twisted together, or if combined with a jute yarn (Fig. 10), the reinforcing thread 31 may be plied together with the previously twisted or spun jute yarn to form the plied yarn 32 (Figs. 8 and 10).

Fibre glass thread, high tenacity rayon thread, and

nylon filament, all possess high tensile strength, but are so fine in texture, as compared with paper fibre thread, jute yarn, and the like, that they may be regarded as having no appreciable effect upon the resulting bulk when used either as a core thread 16 (Fig. 3), or when plied as at 31 (Fig. 10) with the bulkier jute yarn to form the reinforced yarn 32. Fibre glass is relatively inelastic and has no appreciable stretch when subjected to tension. High tenacity rayon however will stretch and tends to embed itself in the bulkier jute with which it is plied.

After the backing material 10 has been woven, it is fed into a looping machine where it passes beneath a row of needles 18, 18 (Figs. 4 and 8). These needles are spaced at suitable intervals across the warp, and as the backing material 10 feeds past the needles 18, 18 the needles enter the interstices 17, between the filler threads 13, 13 (Fig. 4), or 32, 32 (Fig. 8), of the backing material, to loop the yarns 19, 19 (Fig. 4) over, around, and between, the filler threads 13, 13 (Fig. 4), or 32, 32 (Fig. 8), and between the warp threads 12, 12 (Fig. 4), or 33, .33 (Fig. 8), to form the looped pile 20 and the rows of stitches 21, 21 (Figs. 4 to 6, 8 and 11), which join the loops 20 of the-pile together in a continuous chain. The yarns 19, 19 which form the pile, may be of any suitable material, and more than one yarn 19, may be threaded through each needle, if desired.

The warp, and the filler, threads, are strained (Fig. 4), by the up and down motion of the needles 18 and by the bulk of the face yarns 19, and the needles tend to effect a shearing action upon the natural fibres of the filler threads. In some instances these relatively bulky natural fibres may rupture despite the presence of the reinforcing thread 16 (Fig. 4) or 31 (Fig. 8), but said reinforcing thread remains intact, thus maintaining a substantial part of the tensile strength of the backing material at the point of rupture of the natural fibres and maintaining in part the tensile strength of the tiller yarn 13 or 32, while preventing the loops 20 of the face yarn 19 from pulling out.

The length of the stitches 21, 21 may be controlled within limits, so that the face yarns 19 may loop around the individual filler threads 13 (Fig. 4), or may compact and pillar a plurality of filler threads 13, 13 (Fig. 11) and loop around them.

The elongated shape, in cross section, of the yarn threaded needles 18, subjects the filler threads 13 or 32, to more strain than the warp threads 12 or 33, and the additional tensile strength imparted to the filler threads by the reinforcing threads 16, substantially reduces the rupturing of the natural fibres of the threads by the passage of the yarn threaded needles.

After the face yarns 19 (Fig. 4) have been stitched through the backing material to form the looped pile, a coating of latex 22 is applied, in any preferred manner, to the back of the rug base (Fig. 6). The adhesive is applied in fluid condition and flows freely over the back of the stitches, and over the warp, and filler, threads, and into the spaces between the rows of stitches, and the spaces between the warp, and filler, threads, to form a continuous, film-like, coating, covering the back of the rug base (Figs. 6 and 7).

The coating of latex is suitably cured, or if some other adhesive is used, it is allowed to harden and set, and when so cured, or hardened and set, the latex or other adhesive permanently bonds the stitches 21, and the Warp, and the filler, threads, together, so that the loops 20 cannot loosen up or pull out. The adhesive does not penetrate the rug base to the pile side thereof, so that the softness and flexibility of the pile is not impaired or diminished.

By cutting the loops 20, 20 (Fig. 6), a cut pile (Fig. 7) may be obtained. Each tuft 26 (Fig. 7) is securely held in place by the bonded stitch 21, and the pile fabric (Figs. 6 and 7) may be handled and processed through the subsequent stages of manufacture, without afiecting the looped or cut pile.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 8, jute yarns are substituted in the warp and in the filler. The warp threads 33 are spun out of jute fibers 34 (Fig. 9), and the filler threads 32 (Fig. 10) are plied yarns, consisting of a jute yarn reinforced by twisting the thread 31 of high tensile strength with the relatively bulky jute yarn. The thread 31 may be made of fibre glass, high tenacity rayon, nylon, or the like. I

The warp threads are not shown as reinforced, but if, for any reason, it is found desirable to provide additional tensile strength in the warp threads without increasing their bulk, threads embodying the construction of the filler threads 13 (Fig. 3), or of the filler threads 32 (Fig. 11) may be woven in the warp also.

In Figs. 4 and 8, the stitches 21 are shown looped around each individual filler thread, only for the purpose of simplifying the structure. Ordinarily however the filler thread count will substantially exceed the stitch count, and the stitches 21 will loop around both single, and plural, filler threads (Fig. 11).

The reinforcing thread 16, or 31, imparts additional strength to the tiller thread, whether used in a cored yarn 13, or in a plied yarn 32. The additional tensile strength thus imparted, is usually suflicient to prevent the rupture of the natural fibres of the bulky yarns 13, or 30, of the filler threads (Figs. 3 and 6). If, however, a rupture of the paper, cotton, jute, or Kenaf, yarn, should occasionally occur, the reinforcing thread 16, or 31, almost invariably remains intact, and prevents the loop 20 of the face yarn 19, from falling out, thus maintaining at least a part of the tensile strength of the backing material, and performing the anchoring function of the bulkier paper, cotton, jute, Kenaf, or other natural fibre, yarn.

The same result occurs when the reinforcing thread is employed either in a cored yarn (Fig. 4), or in a p'lied yarn (Fig. 8), and regardless of the composition of the natural fibre yarn, whether paper, cotton, jute, Kenaf, or otherwise. i

Employing reinforcing threads of high tensile strength synthetic yarn of such small diameter to strengthen and reinforce the bulkier natural fibre yarns, adds but very little to the cost of the finished fabric.

The backing material may be woven with warp, and

filler, threads, spun or twisted out of dissimilar natural fibres. For example, the backing material disclosed in Fig. 12 contains warp threads 12, made from twisted paper ribbons 14 (Fig. 2), and filler threads 32, each consisting of a jute yarn 30, plied together with a synthetic yarn of high tensile strength, such as the fibre glass yarn 31 (Fig. 10).

The synthetic threads 16 and 31 are very flexible and pliable and do not perceptibly increase the bulk of the natural, or vegetable, fibre, yarns, and do not impair the flexibility, pliability, or other phsyical characteristics, of said natural, or vegetable, fibre, yarns.

What is claimed is:

A woven textile fabric adapted to form a backing for a tufted rug, said fabric comprising warp and filler threads in loosely interwoven relationship to define a backing having interstices through which tufting needles are penetrable, said warp threads being composed of a ribbon of wet strength twisted paper, said filler threads being a composite of a bulky jute yarn and a flexible pliable thread of fibre glass of relatively small crosssectidnal area, which is plied to said jute yarn, said bulky jute yarn being subject to rupture by said needles, said fibre glass thread maintaining continuity of said composite filler threads despite said rupture, thereby to minimize sprouting of said backing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 245,395 Perkins Aug. 9, 1881 667,601 Stevenson Feb. 5, 1901 961,441 Harrison June 14, 1910 1,376,618 Hansen May 3, 1921 1,854,120 Dom Apr. 12, 1932 1,949,065 Twitchell Feb. 27, 1934 2,133,237 Slayter Oct. 11, 1938 2,327,104 Gudebrod Aug. 17, 1943 2,349,236 Bodle May 23, 1944 2,388,140 Hall Oct. 30, 1945 2,418,215 Lambert Apr. 1, 1947 2,607,042. Schloss Aug. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 306,234 Germany Ian. 15, 1919 

